Vols. for 1994-1995 distributed to depository libraries in microfiche.

General Note:

Special "80th anniversary supplement" issue published on Aug. 12, 1994.

General Note:

Special ed. for 65th anniversary of the Panama Canal issued at end of Oct. 1979, is also a joint issue with: The News: authorized unofficial publication of the U.S. Armed Forces, Quarry Heights, Panama, and includes the text of the Panama Canal Act.

By Ariyuri H. de Mantovani
Throughout its history, the
Panama Canal has been represented
and identified around the world
through photos, videos, news items,
and exhibits. Now, the waterway has
its own musical theme to identify it
and the transfer process and its mean-
ing to Panama.
David Choy, a well-known Pana-
manian composer and musician, wrote
the lyrics and produced the arrange-
ments for the Canal's first musical
theme, orjingle. "It has made meproud
to workwith the Canal onthis project,"
said Choy, noting that the project was
a new experience for him because it
was not a regular commercial project,
insofar as the Canal is known all over
the world. On composing the theme,
Choy explained that he did research
on the Canal and combined his expe-
riences from past visits to the locks
with what he learned from the Public
Relations Division while writing the
song.
Titled "Humanity Sails Through
My Panama Canal," the jingle was
composed to tell the story ofthe Canal
in three stages: past, present and fu-
ture. Choy represented the past through the
vision ofbuilding a canalto linkthe continents
the present is how we are preparing to receive
it, and the future is represented by children an<
the fulfillment of the dream to receive anm
manage the Canal.
The theme was recorded in the Musicali;
music studio using state-of-the art audio edit
ing technology. Milton Vargas, studio deput
manager and production engineer forthe project
said: "This is a very special project, because a
this stage of our history, we will finally be ou
ofthe cradle. Asa Panamanian, I feel very prou<
to be participating in this production."
The musical theme is one minute long, anm
will be used in conjunction with a video pro
duced by the Public Relations Division's Au
diovisual Services Branch for the weekly tele
vision program Panama, a Canal in Transi

A*I\Y/

~, )

lion. Shorterversions will be distributed for use
on radioprograms produced by the division for
radio stations nationwide. Advertisement spots
will also be distributed to local television and
radio stations.
During the video presentation to agency
managers recently, Canal Administrator
Alberto Aleman Zubieta, said: "Enjoy being
the first ones to see it; it is yours. This is the
theme of the Canal employee."
More than 400 children participated in one
scene of the production. "We wanted to con-
vey the message that children are the country's
future, and that they will receive the Canal,"
remarked Public Relations Division manager
Mercedes Morris Garcia. The film sequence
was possible thanks to the support of the
Locks, Canal Protection, Operations Support,
and Maintenance Divisions, as well as of the

Emergency Response and Traf-
fic Management Branches.
"Even though itmight have
seemed complicated to manage
all the children and the arrange-
ments required, the people in-
volved worked as a team, and
success was possible thanks to
everyone's effort," said public
relations specialist Giselle
Fagette, who coordinated the
effort.
"We want the Panamanian
people to identify with the Ca-
nal through this musical theme,
for them to learn it and sing
along," said Sacramento
Castillo, chief of the Audiovi-
sual Section ofthe Audiovisual

Final
Panamefio, Panamefia...
Sirviendoleatupals
Photo by Jaime Yau Estamoslistospa'recibirlo
Services Branch. For his part, Choy added: "I am very proud.
I hope it touches every Panamanian's heart, and that they feel
proud of their Canal and love it."
Following is a rough translation of the lyrics:

Humanity Sails Through My Panama Canal

A long time ago
The dream became so true
To link oceans and also continents
On the tropical isthmus
To the beat of native drums,
Butterflies and fish.. it's my Panama
And that's how our Canal was born
With the valor of humanity
We are ready to receive it
Be prepared all Panamanians
To make your dream come true

For the Canal of my Panama
I sing out joyously on this day
For the Canal of my Panama
Serving my homeland
For the Canal of my Panama
I work through night and also day
Through the Canal of my Panama
Humanity sails
PI'antmeio, I'Paonaeiia
Serving your country
We are ready to receive it.

Generating station boiler

repaired in record time

By Teresa Arosemena
Maintenance work is continually per-
formed at the Miraflores Generating Sta-
tion to ensure the efficiency and reliabil-
ity of its operations. This time, work
focused on boiler unit No. 4, which spe-
cial testing found to contain several
damaged pipes due to internal corrosion,
thus requiring complete replacement.
The urgency of the work stemmed
from the importance of unitNo. 4 to Canal
operations. "We evaluated the situation
and decided it was necessary to bring
help," said Miraflores Generating Station
manager Crispulo Ruiz, adding that the
agency hired the company that had built
the boiler in order to retain the structural
composition of the boiler unit.
Ruiz explained that the unit is very

important to the Canal electrical system
because it has the greatest generating
capacity of all.
The work entailed the immediate re-
placement of a four-foot section of lateral
pipe panels along the length of the boiler,
totaling 120 pipes. This required Canal
and private company welders to work
together because of the specialized work
needed for the job. Once they finished
welding the new pipe panels to the boiler,
x-rays were taken to verify the composi-
tion and uniformity of the welding job.
Ruiz noted the help received from the
Industrial Division, and added: "Our
people did an extraordinary job in record
time. They are highly qualified and we
feel very proud of their professionalism."

Checking welding job Photo by Jaime Yau
Canal welders Mizael Mendieta, below, and Euribiades Vargas, repair boiler tubes from
unit No. 4 at the Miraflores Generating Station. The work required high pressure welding
for the installation of new panels.

252
days
to
Canal
transfer

~---~-~--c I-- ----L- -

77777777777

77

~;L-

Lj

The Panama Canal Spillway

Friday, April 23, 1999

Vacac lit

Applicants must have career or career-conditional status. To apply, si
cation for Transfer," by next Friday, to the Employment and Placement Bran
Persons selected for appointment to a permanent position or a testing-de
tested for illegal drug use prior to appointment or permanent position cha
For certain positions in one-grade interval series where there is no posi
promotion, in-service employees qualify if they possess at least one year
at the second-lower level of the position.
For in-service actions other than promotions, modified qualifications
applicant's background includes closely related experience providing
successful performance.
Proofthat applicants meet special requirements(such as swimming abil
driver's license) must be filed in the Official Personnel Folder or added to
Salaries reflect the minimum and maximum rates of pay for the grades ol
Those selected will be placed in the appropriate grade and step. in accord;
Qualifications standards may be reviewed at the Panama Canal Commis:
Center, Building 38, Balboa.
Further information may be obtained from the Employment and Placenl

.,-,ut poi..o., t..e.. By Melsa de Guti6rrez,
nge.
ng. Occupationall Health nurse
tion in the normal line of Helth
if specialized experience Family violence is a broad term that
encompasses many things. By definition.
Avill be used whenever an it means the mistreatment of one family
the skills necessary for member by another. This mistreatment
could be physical abuse, sexual abuse, or
ity or possession ofa civil emotional abuse.
I orm 443. Violent behaviors by a family member
flthc advertised positions. could be attributed to a number of reasons,
since \with regulations.
.ion technicall Resources including high levels of stress at work or at
Sion I technical Resources
home, the need for power, negative child-
lent Branch, at 272-3583. hood experiences (abusive parents), men-
tal or physical disorders, alcohol and drug
Location Vacancies abuse, lack ofparenting skills, and/or poor
P 1 communication skills.
According to a family violence theory,
the states of violence are: the tension-
building stage (minor conflicts cause vio-
P 1 lent reactions); the battering-incident stage
(insignificant problems cause explosive re-
actions), and the loving reconciliatory
p 1 phase (the abuser feels guilty). This last
stage is the time for promises and reassur-
ance that the incident will not happen again.
Expensive gifts are bought to persuade the
P 3 family that nothing is wrong, and then
violence recurs.
Everyone has the right to live and work
P I in a safe, non-violent environment. Ifthere

is no intervention, abuse could continue
on upward spiral. Some intervention and
prevention strategies are:
* Recognize the signs and symptoms.
* Learn to solve conflicts through ad-
equate communication and interpersonal
skills.
* Be a role model for your children.
* Learn to develop a positive mental atti-
tude and incorporate positive affirmation
to your vocabulary.
* Learn to accept care and believe in oth-
ers.
* Look for professional help before the
problem gets out of control.
In the Republic of Panama, Law 27 of
June 16, 1995, legislates against family vio-
lence. This law protects the entire family.
Take a moment to reflect about how
valuable each person is to society. We all
deserve to be treated with dignity and to
live with the hope of a non-violent society.
Canal employees having this kind of
problem are encouraged to call the Em-
ployee Assistance Program, at272-7885 on
the Pacific side, and 443-4553 or 443-5258
on the Atlantic side.

Internationalyouth philharmonic
Offering their first performance in Panama, 100 musicians from over40 countries will give
a concert sponsored by Panama's National Concerts Association, as part of its campaign to
promote classical music in Panama and support talented young musicians.
The Philharmonie der Nationen, which brings together young performers from around
the world, strives to show that people of different backgrounds can work together in peace
and harmony, united by music, and reminded that the similarities they share are greater than
the differences that may separate them.
The conductor and the orchestra's founder, the famous German pianist and conductor
Justus Frantz, will be leading the youths through compositions by Smetana, Schumann and
Brahms.
1 The performance will take place at 8 p.m., May 12, atthe Anayansi Theater ofthe ATLAPA
Convention Center.
IFormore information call 214-7236 orwriteto luvmusic@sinfo.net. A
I
BHS class reunion
1 A joint reunion for the Balboa High School classes of 1974 and 1975 (and for anyone else
I who wishes to participate) will be held in Panama from May 13 through 17.
A trip to Taboga is planned for Thursday, with a welcome reception at Hotel El Panama
that evening.
The agenda for Friday includes a bus tour and dinner cruise in Panama Bay.
Many participants will be attending the last Balboa High School graduation ceremony on
May 15, which will be followed by abrunch at the Fort Clayton community center, an afternoon
S trip to Miraflores Locks, Summit Gardens and Gamboa, and an evening banquet at Hotel El
Panama.
Sunday's highlights include El Valle's market and lunch at Rio Mar.
For information on reservation procedures and costs, contact Llori Kent Gibson at 276-
6384 or Jennifer Jones at272-3631 (work) or272-2779 (home).

Panamanian employees who are sched-
uled to work on Sunday, May 2, may be
excused to vote in the national elections for
up to three hours, after poll opening time
at 7 a.m. or before the polls close at 4 p.m.,
whichever results in the lesser amount of
time off. Excused absences under this
policy will be granted without charge to
leave or loss of pay. Following are some
examples ofhow the policy will apply:
* For employees scheduled to work from 7
a.m. to 4 p.m., three hours of excused ab-
sence at the beginning or end of the work-
day is appropriate.
* For those scheduled to work from 7 a.m.
to 3 p.m., two hours of excused absence at
the end of the workday is appropriate.
* For those scheduled to work from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m., two hours of excused absence at
the beginning of the workday is appropri-
ate.
* For those scheduled to work from mid-

night to 8 a.m., from 3 to 1 1 p.m., or from 4
p.m. to midnight, no excused absence is
necessary.
Employees scheduled to work on Sun-
day, May 2 who will serve asjurados de
mesa (voting placejurors) will be granted 8
hours administrative leave on that day if
they are scheduled to work. In addition,
these employees will be granted 8 hours of
administrative leave for rest purposes on
Monday, May 3. These provisions are
applicable if the employee is scheduled to
work on one or both days. Proofofserving
the Electoral Tribunal must be presented to
the respective supervisors. These provi-
sions are not applicable to employees rep-
resenting political parties at the voting
polls.
As for any absence for the above-
mentioned purposes, employees must ob-
tain prior permission from their supervi-
sors.

Transition events calendar Photo by Armando De Gracia
The chairman of the Canal Transition Events Committee, Ricardo Durdn presents the
commemorative calendar of Canal transfer events during a recent ceremony at Panama
City's Interoceanic Canal Museum. The ceremony was attended by members of the
diplomatic corps, top officials of the Government ofPanama, Panama Canal Commission,
and the Panama Canal Authority.

Safety courses help save lives

By M. Gabriela Guardia Noiran
It is hard to know how we will react if
we find a relative or friend choking on
something that is obstructing his or her
breathing. Panama Canal Commission
employees have the opportunity to learn
how to take action in emergency situa-
tions, as witnessed by three Canal em-
ployees.
One day, Miguel Lorenzo, a travel
section assistant, took home. toffees to
surprise his 12-year-old twins, Hatuey

0(

Blanca, Miguelito and Mariela

and Lourdes, and his seven-year-old trip-
lets, Blanca, Miguelito, and Mariela. Af-
ter handing them the candy, Lorenzo sat
down to watch television with the chil-
dren. "Minutes later, I felt Blanca nudg-

When I saw the
child turning blue, I
immediately
applied the
Heimlich maneuver

ing me gently," said Lorenzo. When the
nudging got stronger, Lorenzo turned to
find his daughter fighting for breath, as
the candy had gotten stuck in her throat
while she lied on the floor.
"I had never thought about chemi-
cal reactions; that is, adrenaline; it au-
tomatically made me remember what I
had learned during the first aid courses
at the Commission," said Lorenzo. In
seconds, I opened her mouth and tried
to touch the object with my finger, but
when I saw the child turning blue, I
immediately applied the Heimlich ma-

neuver, and successfully forced the candy
out of her throat."
Fourmonths later, Lorenzo's reactions
were put to the test once more, when he
entered his kitchen and found his son,
Miguelito, grabbing at his neck. "I felt
something hard lodged inside his throat,
pressed him several times, and on the
fifth attempt the lump dislodged from his
throat." The lump was a teaspoon of
powdered milk that had become a ball in
the child's mouth and
could not pass.
"Thanks to the Panama
Canal Commission's offer-
ing first aid courses sev-
eral times a year, and the
quality classes given by
instructor Enrique
Guevara, I was able to save
my children's lives," said
S Lorenzo, who urged co-
workers to take the
courses.
SMeanwhile, Samuel
Diaz, an archives techni-
cian in the Agency
LorRecords Center was warm-
Lorenzo
ing his lunch one day
when he noticed Brigida de Zukial, a
janitor from a contracted company,
pressing her throat with an expression
of despair on her face and trying to
reach the water fountain. Diaz remem-
bered that his co-worker Augusto
Espino had taken the first aid course
and ran to get him.
Espino came quickly, and realizing
that Zukial was turning purple, in sec-
onds applied the Heimlich maneuver
and helped the lady eject the choking
object.
"I never thought that less than a
year after taking the course, this would
happen to me," said Espino, who added
that refresher courses must be taken
every year to maintain certification and
make sure one will respond adequately
in the event of an emergency.
Diaz said it is an advantage to work
for a company like the Panama Canal
Commission, which worries about the
safety of its employees and teaches
them about first aid.
"Is not by accident that the Commis-
sion offers these courses. The company
realizes the need and importance of in-
vesting in its employees. It is an oppor-
tunity we should not take for granted."

Performance indicators will

simplify Canal activities

Performance metrics allows us to
know our operations better and, in the
process, to compare them with world
industry standards for productivity, ef-
ficiency, and cost. By measuring our
organization's principal activities we
are able to monitor the quality of pro-
cesses and enable the company's suc-
cess through outstanding performance.
At present, the Panama Canal Com-
mission is implementing 19 performance
indicators, which are reported monthly
to the department heads. The indica-
tors measure key functions of our mis-
sion, such as customer satisfaction,
cost, maintenance, and safety.
However, the company's success de-
pends on every one of us. That is why
a process has begun to develop perfor-
mance metrics within each department,
to learn about the productivity and ef-
ficiency trends for the main functions of
each operating area.
Interpreting these indicators will al-
low the department to establish priori-

ties and assign resources to achieve
productivity improvements, especially
in critical processes.
Five key areas have been identified
in the Maritime Operations Department
for performance metrics implementation.
Performance metrics is also being intro-
duced in the Information Management
Department, where customer satisfac-
tion is one of the main objectives.
Performance indicators have also
been identified in the Human Resources
Department's Training and Develop-
ment Division, to measure the efficiency
of its key processes.
Values will be compared with those
of other companies through
benchmarking, which is carried out
jointly with the Office of Organizational
Effectiveness.
All these efforts are part of a process
to improve the productivity of all Canal
activities, to guarantee that the Canal
will continue to be a model organiza-
tion.

e s Photo by Armando De Gracia
Life savers
Archives technicians Samuel Diaz and Augusto Espino show the awards they
receivedfor saving the life of Brigida de Zukial. From left in the photo are Jeanne
Hinek, manager of the Records Management Branch, Diaz, Zukial, Espino, and Earl
Barber, supervisory records specialist at the Agency Records Center.

Show of flags!
Schoolchildren proudly
wave their flags. Some
1,000 children from the
fifth and sixth grades of
Panama Citv, Arraiuan,
and San Migue7lito
elementary schools made
real the chdeam of genera-
tions of Panamlanians.

Takes on the ceremony
In the photo at left, hundreds of children
wait patiently for the ceremony to start.
Above, each child receives two flags upon
arrival at the Administration Building. At
right, children happily descend the
building's steps in preparation for the his-
toric event.

k-

t, 4

Ceremony builds mood for transfer

By Ariyuri H. de Mantovani
Hundreds of Panamanian schoolchildren
planted flags on the slopes of the Panama
Canal Administration Buildingon April 14, in
the context of ceremonies leading to the trans-
fer ofthe Canal to Panama on December 31 this
year. Participating in the event were Panama
President Ernesto Perez Balladares, top Gov-
ernment of Panama officials, and leaders ofthe
PanamaCanal Authority and the Panama Canal
Commission, including Administrator Alberto
Alemin Zubieta.
Panama's Ambassador to the United Na-

tions, Aquilino Boyd. and Minister for Canal
Affairs and Foreign Minister Jorge Ritter,
were the guest speakers.
In an emotional speech. Boyd recalled
the patriotic flag planting ceremony in which
he took part decades earlier. For his part,
Ritter said: "There never were or will be as
many flags as there are here today. They
fulfill the dream of three generations of
Panamanians."
The ceremony commemorated patriotic
events staged in 1958 and 1959. when young
Panamanians planted flags around the Ad-

ministration building. At the time, the flags
were removed because the Panamanian flag
was not allowed to wave in such proximity to
U.S. Government buildings.
Seeing the Panamanian flag wave in the
Canal area was the dream of several genera-
tions. The 1999 flag planting honored the
boldness and valor of many patriots, who
finally saw their efforts crystallize with the
signing ofthe Torrijos-Carter Treaties of Sep-
tember7, 1977. whereby Panama will assume
full control over the Canal on noon, December
31, this year.